St Michael’s, Burgh-by-Sands has a rota of trained guides to show groups of pre-booked visitors round the church - any number from two upwards. Groups of over twenty people will be divided between more than one guide. A tour can last from twenty to forty five minutes, depending on what the group requires and will cover the history of the church building, sited on the Roman Fort of Aballava; the lying in State in the Church of King Edward I (known as Longshanks); Border warfare and the Border reivers and the building of the defensive tower for the sheltering of the population in those violent times. There is an excellent series of historical information panels in the tower, which will be explained in detail to visitors and a time-line along the Church path describing significant events over the centuries relating to the site.

 

Tea/coffee/squash and biscuits can be provided. There is full disabled access to the ground floor of the church, a WC and baby changing facilities. There are two cycle racks in the churchyard. The Church has a PA system and loop system for the hard of hearing, which should enable all visitors to hear clearly. 

 

Here are a few comments by group visitors – “Fascinating history, very engagingly presented”; “The exhibition in the tower is great”; “Very successful visit”; “Very informative guide”.